16: Chapter 16 The Scum's End, The Green Hat of an Empty Promise

Time goes back two hours.

In the Western Suburbs of Jiangcheng, inside an old factory building, the smell of machine oil mixed with mold, and large patches of plaster peeled off the walls.

Su Xiaonuan sat on a shabby sofa, her pale pink professional suit blindingly clean, looking completely out of place in the gray decay around her.

She pushed the contract to the other side.

Immediately after, a crisp "snap" sounded.

The black metal briefcase on the table opened.

One million in cash was laid out neatly on the table, the scent of ink instantly overpowering the musty smell in the factory.

The landlord's eyes went wide, and his waist bent as if his spine had been removed.

"Boss Su, you are truly generous! You can use this factory however you like. Forget about using it as a warehouse; even if you want to take the roof off, it's no problem!"

The landlord rubbed his hands together and quickly signed his name on the lease, afraid that Su Xiaonuan might change her mind.

"And the remaining balance..."

Su Xiaonuan put the contract into her bag.

She replied indifferently: "Three months later."

The smile on the landlord's face stiffened for a moment.

But looking at the cash on the table, he didn't dare to ask a single word more.

Walking out of the factory, she got into that wild-looking george patton SUV.

Su Xiaonuan sat in the car, the cold metallic touch of the briefcase still lingering on her palms.

The image of the landlord bowing his head to sign just now replayed in her mind repeatedly.

So, as long as she stood behind Boss Lin, even someone like her could make others bow.

"Boss Lin..."

Su Xiaonuan murmured this name, a morbid fanaticism flashing in her eyes.

Her hand subconsciously reached downwards.

Ten minutes later.

Checking her phone, there was still plenty of time before the agreed-upon time to go to the next location to purchase self-heating hot pot.

Just passing by MixC Mall, she decided to go pick up the full set of professional attire that Boss Lin had ordered for her for 1.45 million the day before yesterday.

Boss Lin said she needed to be presentable, so she had to maintain the most perfect posture at all times; she absolutely could not lose face for Boss Lin.

In the lobby on the first floor of MixC Mall, the crowd was much smaller than usual.

On the giant electronic screen, the noon news was playing on a loop.

"Influenza has been frequent recently, and fever clinics in major hospitals are packed. Experts urge citizens to reduce outings as this flu virus is mutating extremely fast..."

Su Xiaonuan's footsteps paused slightly.

Lin Yuan's command to hoard antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs at all costs flashed through her mind.

It was a pity that even though she had tried her best to scrape them up, she only managed to get over a hundred thousand worth of goods.

Boss Lin... had he predicted this long ago?

A chill crept up her back.

She didn't dare to think about it too deeply.

Now, there was only one iron rule in her mind: Lin Yuan's words were divine oracles.

In front of the Chanel counter.

The sales clerk who had served her the day before yesterday recognized her at a glance and immediately abandoned the wealthy lady she was introducing bags to, trotting over in her high heels.

"Ms. Su, you're here!"

The clerk bowed at a ninety-degree angle, her smile brighter than the lights.

"The seasonal new arrivals you ordered have all been packed up, and the store manager has also prepared an internal limited-edition gift; please, you must accept it."

Perrier was brought before her.

A dozen black shopping bags were neatly lined up in a row.

Surrounding customers looked over one after another.

Envy.

Curiosity.

And jealousy that couldn't be hidden.

Su Xiaonuan clenched her fingers, suppressing the instinct to hunch her shoulders.

She was no longer the little secretary who was scolded by her supervisor until she didn't dare to lift her head.

She was Boss Lin's person.

"The list."

As the two words fell, the clerk immediately handed over the tablet.

Just as Su Xiaonuan was about to verify it, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the counter.

"Get out of the way! I want to see her!"

A disheveled woman broke through the security guard's obstruction and stumbled into the counter.

Zhao Ya.

She had been sitting at the McDonald's across the street for the past two days.

Two days ago, she was still wearing ten-centimeter high heels, holding her sugar daddy's arm, and condescendingly saying that Su Xiaonuan wasn't fit to enter this store.

"Su Xiaonuan!"

She let out a shriek.

All the customers stopped what they were doing.

Su Xiaonuan frowned and just turned around.

Thump!

Zhao Ya's knees hit the floor, and she knelt directly in front of her.

"I was wrong! Xiaonuan, I was really wrong!"

Zhao Ya hugged Su Xiaonuan's lower leg, her tears and snot smeared into a mess.

"I have a foul mouth! I deserve to die! Please say a word to your boyfriend for me, beg him to let me go!"

Su Xiaonuan was startled and took a half step back, withdrawing her leg.

"Are you crazy?"

Zhao Ya crawled forward on her knees, her fingers gripping the floor tiles tightly.

"That bastard froze all my bank cards! He even kicked me out of the villa!"

"He counted all the money he spent buying me bags and cars in the past as loans, eight hundred thousand! A full eight hundred thousand!"

"He said if you don't forgive me, he will make me spend my whole life paying off debts!"

The counter fell into a dead silence.

Su Xiaonuan looked down at her.

There was no ecstatic joy in her heart; instead, it was frighteningly calm.

So it wasn't that Zhao Ya was so noble.

It was just that she used to be too weak.

Weak enough for anyone to step on.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhao Ya panicked completely.

"Xiaonuan! The class reunion is the day after tomorrow. As long as you are willing to forgive me, I will serve you tea and pour water for you in front of all our classmates!"

"I will carry your bags! I will be your dog!"

"Be a dog?"

Su Xiaonuan suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint, but it made Zhao Ya freeze all over.

"Zhao Ya, you've asked the wrong person."

"First, Boss Lin is not my boyfriend; he is my boss."

"Second..."

Su Xiaonuan leaned over slightly, looking at Zhao Ya's disheveled face.

"I don't have the qualifications to keep a dog yet."

Zhao Ya's face turned pale.

Su Xiaonuan stood up straight and spoke to the clerk.

"Have the items delivered to the car."

She glanced at the floor where Zhao Ya had knelt.

"By the way, mop this place clean; it's dirty."

The clerk nodded immediately.

"Alright, Ms. Su!"

Su Xiaonuan turned and left.

Behind her came Zhao Ya's hysterical crying and screaming.

[Ding! Target Su Xiaonuan (Beauty 87), Favorability +4%, Current Favorability: 50%!]

[Favorability has broken the critical threshold, synchronizing target's Superpower... A-grade Superpower: Dimensional Space (Not yet awakened)!]

...

The scene cuts back to Rose Garden Apartment.

The living room was filled with a thick, decadent atmosphere.

"Go wash up. There are my clothes in the room; you'll have to make do for now."

Wang Ya responded in a low voice, dragging her weak legs towards the bathroom.

Lin Yuan walked to the entryway.

His Mental Energy, which was as high as 26 points, had long since sensed the breathing of the person crouching outside the door like a mouse for two hours.

The smell of cigarette smoke drifted in through the door crack.

Lin Yuan gripped the doorknob and pulled it open abruptly.

In the hallway.

Cigarette butts were scattered all over the floor.

Li Hongda was leaning against the corner of the wall, his phone screen still frozen on the bank account interface.

For a full two hours, he had raised his hand several times to smash the door, only to pull it back forcibly.

He even comforted himself in his heart that as long as he could get this money, what kind of young model couldn't he find!

Hearing the door open, Li Hongda raised his head abruptly.

His eyes were bloodshot, his eye sockets deeply sunken, and he lunged forward like a hungry dog seeing meat.

But he didn't dare to look into the crack of the door behind Lin Yuan at all.

He was afraid of seeing his wife disheveled and humiliated; that would sting his remaining, paper-thin self-esteem.

He was even more afraid that if he showed any anger, this god of death in front of him would make him not get a single cent.

"Where's the money? Boss Lin, hurry up and give me the five million!"

Li Hongda rubbed his hands, his voice trembling.

"Where's the money? You've had your fun, it's time to fulfill your promise, right?"

He handed his phone to Lin Yuan, the account number already pulled up.

"Five million, transfer it to this ICBC card!"

"Transfer it immediately! I need it urgently!"

Lin Yuan looked down at him.

"In a hurry to pay off debts?"

Li Hongda swallowed his saliva, his eyeballs turning rapidly.

"Yes, yes, yes! Pay off debts! I'm just afraid that those people will come to trouble Ya Ya again!"

As he spoke, his voice lowered a few notches.

"Of course... If Boss Lin feels that Ya Ya served you well, it's not impossible to discuss it in the future."

"I'm an open-minded person."

"As long as the money is right, everything is negotiable."

Lin Yuan finally smiled.

That smile had not a shred of warmth.

"I'll give you ten million."

"However, your wife belongs to me from now on."